It Happened Like This
by Awakening5
Summary: Fred and George Weasley decide to relate this AU "When Harry Met Ginny" together. Their versions don't always match up, nor do the two always stay on topic. But when all is said and done, the twins manage to get the point across.
1. First Impression

**Important Author Note**: I believe this to be a pretty unique narrative, so I feel it requires a little explanation. Fred and George are telling this AU story together. So, imagine them sitting on a plush sofa, a fire cackling behind them, dressed in their home-knit Weasley sweaters, alternating the narration of this story. I toyed with the idea of italics or bold letting distinguishing the two, but it made the writing dirty.

I also picture a mug of hot chocolate in their hands, which they spit out when their twin says something ludicrous. Enjoy!

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It Happened Like This

Chapter One: First Impressions

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Gather close that you might hear the great tale of how Ginny won over the unconquerable Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived-and-vanished! It all began when—

What? Fred you've gone insane! It wasn't Ginny that won over Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived-and-vanished who won _her_. Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived-and-vanished, wooed her! Wooed her, I tell you!

Oh, my dear brother George. My sad, misguided, insane, once maimed, twice deflowered—

Thrice deflowered—

Right you are. Thrice deflowered, oft-constipated brother George.

Get to the point.

What was the point?

Never mind that. It is quite obvious I will need to tell this story—I don't think you have all the facts right.

I not have the facts right? An outrage, this is!

Where, Fred, did you get your facts? I challenge the authenticity of your series of events.

I may or may not have snuck a peek at our dear sister's diary—no not that Diary, though it makes an appearance in our story. And where did you get _your_ facts?

It is possible, perhaps, that at some point, I _may_ have gotten Sir Padfoot drunk…and it can't necessarily be disproven that I may have possibly taken _slight_ advantage of the allegedly repeated visits to the not-necessarily-made-up pub and gotten details from the supposed godfather of the boy in question, and the Dark Arts professor of the girl in question.

You mean Defense Against the Dark Arts?

I've experienced it both ways.

I see. Well, Georgie…we may just have to tell this story together. Perhaps we'll get the truth behind the matter this way.

Right-o Fredie. So, where shall we start? The middle?

And then work our way slowly forward, interspersing it with flashbacks to better understand the present?

Assuming those flashbacks carry similar themes to the timeline we interrupt, I suppose this could work. Maybe include some tantalizing images of the future to foreshadow the—

—maybe we just start from the beginning, and move forward…

That would simplify things, yes.

So…where did her diary start? The first day Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived-and-vanished, came to Hogwarts?

Oh…no no no. There is plenty of juicy action before that. And by action I mean a few relationships that didn't go super well, the occasional musings of a teenage girl over a Boy-who-lived-and-vanished, and the very important question of "who saved me from the Chamber?"

That was a good question, and most certainly ties in later. You see, as the drunken Sirius, Sir Padfoot, as we may call him—

We may indeed—

As Sir Padfoot proposed over a particularly potent potable, Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived-and-vanished, often wondered that same question from the other side of the sickle. Who was the girl he saved from the Chamber?

Aha? He never saw her?

Apparently, a young, reborn Moldy-warts and a giant, death-by-sight-causing snake distracted him. And then Dumbledore showed up right as he killed the snake and disappeared with Ginny before Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived-and-vanished, could see her.

Convenient…

Many things that old man did were.

Merlin, I miss his face.

Anyway, it was something Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived-and-vanished, thought about on occasion while he and Sir Padfoot were off chasing Death Eaters and saving the world.

Which brings us to the beginning of our story, it does.

Right. Months after snake-face's ultimate demise. Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived-and-vanished, was in his seventh year.

And Ginny just about to start her sixth. As I recall, her diary commented on how depressed she would be without us returning.

But we'd already been gone from Hogwarts for an entire year at that point.

Don't ruin my false memory of her musings, George!

Remind me again exactly how you are bringing anything reliable to the story, here?

Says the bloke who got all of his information from an inebriated drunk.

Sir Padfoot is not _a drunk_. He simply _is_ drunk most of the time!

Right. So school was about to start again. Professor McGonagall was just starting her tenure as Headmistress, poor woman.

We thought _we_ gave her a hard time…she was _not_ prepared to take on Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived-and-vanished, _and_ Sir Padfoot both at the same time.

Ginny described his entrance as "epic."

Sir Padfoot coolly described it as "everyday."

Ginny said that they burst through the enchanted ceiling—which shouldn't even allow physical objects to pass through—riding a flying motorcycle and a hippogryph!

I said he described it coolly…

Anyway, Ginny was simultaneously turned on by his cocksure attitude and put off by his arrogance.

Girls with their conflicting emotions…it probably didn't help that he was Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived-and-vanished, Savior of the world, and quite a hottie—her words, not mine.

Right…but his attitude made her guarded. Remember she had seen it before.

In the very man that Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived-and-vanished, destroyed, saving the world.

Yes. And at this point, George, all eyes were on the pair of newcomers, who merely dismounted their respective mounts and bowed to the staff table.

Sir Padfoot tells me McGonagall looked able to "fry an egg on that face," so red hot it was.

I cannot confirm that, as Ginny merely spent a few pages describing the eyes of Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived-and-vanished. She was far too lost in them to observe her headmistress.

Well, assuming Ginny was too focused on Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived-and-vanished, to hear the conversation, I'll clue you in on what was said between the Headmistress and the Savior and his Mentor.

"What in the BLOODY HELL do you think you are doing, arriving like that?" McGonagall erupted.

"Our arrival, Minnie, needed to match the arrivers in style."

"It is Professor McGonagall in front of the students, Sir Padfoot—"

Wait, she called him Sir Padfoot?

Of course not, I simply cannot call him something else.

Well, now who is taking away authenticity? If you're going to tell a story, you've got to get in the heads of your characters. So far, all of your characters just sound like you!

Alright, alright. "It is Professor McGonagall in front of the students…Professor Black." And she sighed!

Did she really? Or are you merely sighing at saying the words Professor Black?

Yea it's just me…

Well then it's a good thing Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived-and-vanished, spoke next, because Ginny actually wrote about that. "Oh don't mind him," Harry said in a deliciously melodic voice that Ginny wished were directed at her.

Really?

That's called good story telling, right there.

Really?

I'm getting in her head, seeing the world how she would.

Really?

Harry continued, bowing apologetically to his new Headmistress. "He's just a little excited to be back at Hogwarts. As am I, really." Harry looked around the room, wonder in his gloriously green eyes. Ginny thought his gaze might have lingered on her just a little longer than it did anywhere else. It was either that, or time itself froze as their eyes met.

UGH! If that's what good story telling is, then I want none of it.

Fine, you go again, Ginny didn't describe anything else until he sat down near her anyway.

Alright, I'll catch you up then. After Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived-and-vanished, placated poor Minnie, he waited his turn to be sorted. He never got the chance as an eleven year old, see?

How did Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived-and-vanished, feel about that?

Sir Padfoot actually talked about that at length once he was drunk enough to let the tears fall. It was his one regret, something he would never forgive himself for, no matter what Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived-and-vanished, said to him. Sir Padfoot felt horrible about taking away his childhood. Said, "Lily and James will never forgive me," he did.

Wow. But he saved his live by taking him away from everything. By training him, preparing him to face Voldemort.

Yes, and when I said as much, he would respond "But at what cost!"

And that's why he's drunk all the time?

I can only assume. Anyway, Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived-and-vanished, got sorted into Gryffindor, and went and sat next to a girl who caught his eye.

That's it? That's all you're going to say? What did he think of the girl? What was Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived-and-vanished, feeling?

Harry felt hungry.

You're ruining this.

No, you are forgetting that you read the diary of a girl, and I got Harry's side of the story from a drunk godfather. And Harry's a bloke! I said she caught his eye, didn't I?

Well, for her part, Ginny was nearly hyperventilating. But she kept it cool on the outside when Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived-and-vanished, sat across from Hermione, next to Ron, and diagonally from where Ginny sat. "Welcome," she said, a little coldly.

Ron and Hermione both greeted him as well, though he could tell they were a little unsure of how to interact with him. Like most people he met, they probably wondered whether they should thank him for saving their lives, or simply talk with him like a normal teenager. Was the "thanks for killing a mass murderer so I can sleep soundly at night" discussion for when they got to know each other, or to be used as an ice breaker?

Well, Ginny wasn't thinking much about that, so much as if he felt as strong as he looked. Or if his lips were as soft as _they_ looked.

Really? She went right to that, did she?

No, I'm exaggerating. It may have crossed her mind, but so did another million thoughts. Really, I almost stopped reading her diary, she spilled so much crap. But there was much more than physical attraction here. She was so intrigued by Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived-and-vanished. Who was he, really? Was he the kid who crashed through enchanted ceilings to get attention? Would he treat Ron and her differently because they came from a humble home? Would he think less of Hermione because she was muggleborn? She realized, of course, that he had defeated ol' Noseless, but that didn't mean he had the exact opposite viewpoints of him, now did it?

Meanwhile, Harry was hungry.

Boys…

You _are_ a boy!

I'm in her head, George! And right now, Harry is coming off as obtuse and uninteresting.

I think he's cool, calm, collected.

And hungry.

Yes. And dinner soon came. Because of the aforementioned hesitations, conversation was sparse.

It was; and this only fueled Ginny's misperception that Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived-and-vanished, was an arrogant prick.

That got extreme pretty quickly.

You know Ginny; quick to judge, quick to anger, slow to realize and admit fault, but quick to apologize and forgive.

Funny, that little cycle appears a couple times throughout this story.

Half of the cycle is included in the limited conversation that happened at the dinner table. After they'd briefly introduced themselves and feasted for a minute, Ginny spoke up regarding what was bothering her. "Quite the entrance you made, Harry."

Harry chuckled. "Yea, we thought it would be fun to give the teachers and school kids a little something to talk about."

Ginny's anger flared. "And you're the one to provide us with something to talk about, huh?"

Not catching her hostility in the question, Harry answered with a smile and an old joke he, Sir Padfoot, and Moony shared. "I _am_ Harry Potter, after all." It's was common for he and his mentors to make fun of his fame and jokingly laud it. It kept them humble, in a sarcastic way.

Well Ginny was a little too eager to view it as arrogance. "And _Harry Potter_ can just do whatever he wants, can he?" Ginny asked hotly, no longer hiding her disgust with him.

Harry was beyond confused. Why was the pretty witch behaving like a pretty bi—

—That's our sister, mate. And why, indeed? Well, Ginny _wanted _to dislike him for some reason. In _extensive_ introspection via diary, she came to the conclusion that she had jumped down his throat and decided to hate him to compensate for the incredible draw she felt to him.

Strange one, she is. Well, oddly enough, she sparked a passion in him as well. It was anger. But you and I both know that passion festers. It slowly changes shape, you see. It might start as passionate anger, but can easily change into any type of passion.

And it would. But not that night. No, it remained anger and confusion on that night.

"What?" Harry responded, utterly confused, and his own voice raising a bit to match Ginny's. "No, we were just having a bit of fun."

This wound Ginny up, a bit unnecessarily. After all, she _had_ thought the entrance was fun. "So you ride in here on your high horse, Mr. Savior of the World, and just think you can have fun at our expense."

Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived-and-vanished, was actually stung by her comment. He never wanted to flaunt his fame and fortune, his triumph and victory. He had just been having a bit of fun. And she needed to back off of him for it. His hurt was replaced by anger. "It was a hippogryph, _Ginny_, not a horse," he responded caustically, his voice raising another tick. "Who'd have thought a beautiful girl like you could make Minnie look like a chill Jamaican on weed?"

Ginny's mind went blank with fury. How dare he call her uptight, stuck up? He didn't know her! She was a fun rule-breaker. A quidditch star. And here this kid came in like he owned the place, and judged her without a second thought. The irony of her thoughts, really…anyway, she stood up violently from the table, got in his face and whispered deadly. "Whatever happened to Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived-and-_vanished_? I'd like him to make a return."

Harry stared into her eyes for a long moment, unable to think of a comeback. Maybe it was that she stunned him with her words. Her words were so contradicting that he had to spend a few minutes just to work out what she had said. But more likely, it was her proximity and that he finally got a good look into her eyes, and the emotion and energy there captivated him.

George! That was brilliant!

Yea? It felt kind of nice, getting in his head a little. Though I'm probably making up a little bit.

Meh.

Harry stayed seated, staring off at Ginny's retreating figure. He hated that even in his anger he couldn't help but admire the sway of her hips as she moved towards the exit. So ensconced in his jumbled thoughts for this mysterious girl he was, Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived-and-vanished, jumped when he heard Ron clear his throat to his side. "Sorry 'bout her, mate. She can be a bit short with people sometimes…can't, for the life of me, understand why in your case."

Meanwhile, Ginny was stalking up to her room at this point, ready to write in her diary for a _very_ long time. Too long a time, really. She would slowly get better at condensing her thoughts on Harry, but not this entry. However, her final line of the day? "I hate that I'm so excited he called me beautiful."

Huh…well, Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived-and-vanished, never responded to Ron. In fact, a new Harry was born at that moment. Harry Potter, the Boy-who-for-the-fist-time-in-his-life-had-no-comeback-and-couldn't-stop-thinking-about-the-cause-of-it.

That's a mouthful. I don't think I'll be repeating that name from now on.

Deal.

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**A/N: **I've finished the rough draft of this story. Should be about seven or eight chapters, and updates can come regularly. Though, I will say that I get _much_ more inspiration to edit my future chapters and ready them for updating when I get a few reviews telling me what you lovely readers think of the story! In other words, please leave me your thoughts on the story and I'll update quicker.

Until next time!


	2. Tryout

**A/N: I'd like to thank those who left me a review. It was so rewarding. Thank you! In the future, I'd like to respond to them individually; this past week just got away from me. But I wanted to let you all know that posting this fun and silly story has accomplished what I had hoped the early writing stages would do, and that is get me back on track with my more serious, book-length story that I've been stuck in. I'm about halfway done, and the story just stopped coming to me until I posted this. So, yea!**

**Anyway, enjoy the next chapter of Fred and George's antics!**

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It Happened Like This

Chapter 2: Tryout

I'm a bit confused, Fred.

Not that this is anything new, but why is that, George?

Why, in Merlin's massive monocle, did Ginny start such a meaningless fight with Harry Potter? All he did was save the Wizarding World, and she treats him like that?

According to her diary, it was all about the Diary.

Ah…you mean Tom Riddle's?

The very one, George. You see, Ginny had been fooled by an attractive, confident, seeming hero in shining armor before. She didn't want to be fooled again.

So the angry outburst was a defense mechanism?

Right. Now, I'm also a bit confused, George.

What on earth could you be confused about, Fred? You're the one that got all the clues into the female psyche in this whole charade. And women are the confusing ones.

Except in this case. Why, in the great Gilgamesh's gonads, did Harry like this girl after how she exploded at him?

It certainly didn't start as affection, Fredie. Harry went to bed that night fuming. Here he was in a new place, fresh off a fight to the death with the Pale and Pompous, and he is greeted by a venomous beauty! All he did was arrive in epic fashion, and now _he _was the bad guy.

I bet he was right confused.

That he was. Along with anger, those were the bulk of the emotions he felt that night. Ron had apologized to him, Hermione had tried to explain, but couldn't really come up with a plausible explanation. So Harry headed to bed angry and confused.

So, why, in Loki's lingering liquids, did the attraction start?

Well, on Harry's way up to Gryffindor Tower and his dormitory, he was stopped by no less than fourteen wide-eyed students, each pleading for his autograph, blessing, or lock of hair.

I see. He began to rethink whose reaction was worse.

He may not have liked Ginny's outburst, but it seemed much more genuine and honest—reactions he had received from no one but Sir Padfoot.

So the admiration began.

He was still angry at her, see. He was still confused out of his gourd. But now he was intrigued by the girl. She was an enigma that he wanted to figure out.

Little did he know that Ginny cannot be figured out.

And she only became more intriguing as the days went by.

For her part, Ginny felt quite bad about her outburst. But, she still wasn't sure if Harry deserved it or not. After all, her only impression of the boy had been a loud and raucous entrance. But couple that with his fame and fortune, Ginny was leaning towards believing the young man had an attitude to rival Malfoy's. Ergo, she didn't apologize. At least not immediately.

As Sir Padfoot explained, it took two weeks for them to speak again.

Quidditch tryouts.

Yes, but a lot happened for Harry in those two weeks.

Really? Because Ginny did her best to simply ignore the handsome hero and live her life as usual.

Which is precisely the reason why a lot changed for Harry. He couldn't help but steal glances at the girl, ask around a bit. You know what he found out?

That she wasn't crazy?

Exactly. He noticed she was actually a fun girl, not prone to shouting at people she just met. She had a delightful laugh when she didn't think he was watching. She had a way of making everyone around her happier. She had good friends who loved her company. She was a smart and capable witch.

But he couldn't figure out why she was so short with him. She never let on what her deal with him was.

Exactly. Until Tryouts.

Ginny was the seeker; she had been for two years. She had brought home the Quidditch Cup for Gryffindor both years.

Including our epic final year at Hogwarts.

As I recall, it was our fine beating that won us the final game and secured victory.

Then you recall correctly, my dear brother.

Beaters are the most underrated position in quidditch, wouldn't you agree?

I most certainly would. Malfoy was making a beeline for that snitch.

Ginny would have caught him if she had a decent broom, no doubt.

No doubt. And we must say so every time we repeat the story, lest we face her wrath.

But she didn't have a decent broom.

No she did not.

So we stepped in and knocked the miserable mutt off his broom instead.

Remember the way he cried and cried?

How could I forget? I replay it in my Pensieve every night.

Oh how glorious the day.

Yes it was…

…

…

Let's see here…

Yes. That's right. We were in the middle of doing something.

Telling a story.

Telling a story! That's right!

So, Tryouts. Right.

According to Ginny's diary, she hadn't even expected a tryout. But then "Harry Bloody Potter" had to show up and claim he was only good at the Seeker position.

And he was! Sir Padfoot claims the quaffles are too large and scare him. Meanwhile, he swings a club like a girl.

Well, Captain Ron felt obligated to let the Hero of Heaven and Hell at least try out, how dare he.

And Harry won deftly.

You're skipping some very important parts.

You mean how Harry started to fall for the girl during the tryouts.

No, how Ginny started to hate the boy during tryouts.

Well, we'd best not skip over either of those parts, then.

Ginny glared at Harry all during dinner, furious that he was making her try out, no matter how much of a formality it was.

And Harry could not ignore the girl glaring at him. He simultaneously accepted her challenge, and couldn't help but notice how cute she looked when angry. He found himself once more intrigued by the girl, oddly excited that she was into quidditch.

And Ginny simply thought Potter was a talentless joke who simply felt _entitled_ to a spot on the team for his…extracurricular activities.

Like defeating evil wizards hell bent on world domination.

Yes.

She couldn't have been more wrong.

So, Ginny grabbed her Cleansweep begrudgingly and marched out onto the pitch, ready to show this Potter character how to fly.

Meanwhile, Harry grabbed his Firebolt and confidently strode out to meet the Wondrous Weasley siblings in the center of the pitch.

The first part of tryouts was rapid catching, where Ron releases the snitch and at the blow of his whistle the seekers chase after it, never having lost sight.

It measures pure reaction speed and flying ability, and very little seeking or interference. They never got to the second part of tryouts, as I recall.

Harry beat Ginny ten straight times, and she was livid—but no longer at Harry. She was furious at herself for losing.

Harry found himself very impressed with Ginny, and couldn't believe how well she competed given how much better his broom was. And he said as much.

At which point all of Ginny's anger returned to being directed at Harry.

It is fascinating hearing both sides of the story, isn't it?

Absolutely. From the way Ginny wrote it in her diary, it sounded like Harry had gloated his superior broom over her.

Meanwhile, Harry had merely intended to compliment her, and even offered to switch brooms to even the playing field a bit. After all, a Lightningbolt against a Cleansweep 16?

And sadly, all Ginny felt was belittled and mocked.

I will tell you one good thing that came from all of this.

That Ginny jumped off her broom after the first stage of the Tryout and punched Harry in the face, declaring him a pompous ass who should learn to keep his broom in his pants, saying, "so it's big, you don't have to show everyone!"?

A bonus, but no. It was understanding. From Harry's end, at least.

What, in Helga Hufflepuff's Horny Head, do you mean?

You see, after Harry received a nasty right hook from Ginny and she stormed off; after Ron apologized again, and said Harry got the spot, and that Ginny would be moved to Chaser where she had wanted to be all of the previous year; after all of that, as Harry nursed his bleeding nose, he finally understood what Ginny's problem with him was.

That she thought he was an arrogant dick, who felt entitled to everything in life based on his achievements, name, money, and looks?

Right in one, Fred. And because of this elucidation, a small smile came to Harry face as he watched the girl stalk off the pitch.

A small and bloody smile.

Yes. You see, Harry now had a mission—and for the first time in his life, it was a mission he looked forward to fulfilling.

A mission to win over Ginny Weasley.

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**Let me know what you think. Like I said, I'll try to respond to reviews individually this time, especially those with specific commentary or helpful tips. Thanks!**


	3. Friends

**A/N: Thanks to those who reviewed. And to the guests who reviewed, thank you! I wish I could respond personally to you. Now, enjoy part one of Harry's plan to win over Ginny!**

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It Happened Like This

Chapter Three: Friends

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Harry went to visit Sir Padfoot that night.

Well, George, I hope for the sake of our audience and myself that he conveniently explained to Sir Padfoot what is going through his head at this point. Because, quite frankly, I don't understand _why_, in Severus Snape's Slimy Snout, Harry would feel any desire to win over Ginny. He should hate her for her snap judgments and…well, punching him in the face.

Well, today your hopes become reality, dearest Fred. Harry _did _conveniently share all of his thoughts and feelings regarding the Ginny Situation to his closest—and only, at this point—friend. And _I_ conveniently received all of this information from an inebriated Sir Padfoot recently.

So what, in Thor's Thunderous…Thunder, did he say to Sir Padfoot?

"I'm a little messed up in the head," Harry began, as his godfather slid him a drink. They sat in Sir Padfoot's office, the lighting in the room dark but for a small fire.

"No arguments here," Sir Padfoot responded, leaning back in his chair now, awaiting news on the Ginny Situation. He knew it was the Ginny Situation, of course. While young Harry hadn't yet realized it, she had become a bit of an obsession of his in his first couple of weeks at Hogwarts. Initially, it was righteous anger. How dare she yell at him for something so trivial? And something that was really his, Sir Padfoot's, fault in the first place. But then the fury turned to intrigue. How could someone so short with and judgmental of _him_ be so kind and fun with everyone else? Not to mention that he, rather frequently, mentioned how beautiful the girl was in passing.

"Well, I figured out what was plaguing the pretty, petite princess," Harry said, taking a sip of his firewhiskey. He didn't drink like Sir Padfoot, but he could hold his liquor as well as the next guy. So long as the next guy wasn't Moony. "She hates me."

"Well, that clears things up," Sir Padfoot nodded. "Glad I could help you out, pup. Door's open at all times."

"Shut it, Sirius," Harry said, taking another sip. "I found out _why_ she hates me today. She thinks I'm a privileged, proud, and pompous Potter."

"So it's the whole Lily-James situation all over again," Sir Padfoot mused, thinking he had heard the pretty, petite, plagued princess meets privileged, proud, pompous Potter story before.

"But it shouldn't be!" Harry exclaimed, waving his hands wildly. "I'm not my teenage father! First of all, I'm not infatuated with her. Also, I'm _way _more mature, unselfish, and less full of myself than he was."

Sir Padfoot rolled his eyes. "Don't let her hear you say that last sentence, or she'll beg to differ. Also, why do you care? You should just ignore her for misjudging you."

Sir Padfoot was a crafty one, Fred. You see, he had been through this situation before, years ago with his best mate and his future wife.

I see. So he was playing Harry?

Like a lute.

A lute?

A lute. And not only was he playing Harry, but he knew exactly how to help him, too.

So how did it play out?

"Ignore her? I can't simply ignore this girl and let her go on thinking false thoughts about me!"

Sir Padfoot knew, of course, that Harry was starting to like this girl, contrary to Harry's belief. You see, Harry was attracted to the sort of girl who would hate fame and fortune. It was just a shame that he was the epitome of both. He liked that she didn't like the guy she thought was arrogant and overly confident. It was just a shame that she thought those things about him. But that could be rectified. But Sir Padfoot did not tell Harry these things—it would have stunted the rectification.

I see, George. Had he called Harry out on his crush, Harry would have denied it, and ignored the situation out of defiance. But by not confronting Harry about this crush he was developing, Sir Padfoot allowed Harry to operate under a fake motive, giving the boy more confidence and self-assurance to do what he needed to.

Right you are, Fred. And what he needed to do was a bit edgy for the boy. You see, Sir Padfoot then explained to him a secret to getting a girl's approval. "You've got to get on her best friends' side, pup."

Oh…that explains it.

Explains what, Fred?

A page in Ginny's diary that I made a copy of for blackmail purposes, should Harry ever turn against us.

Do share!

_September 23_

_Something strange happened today. Something so terribly strange…and I don't know what to make of it. And yes, you don't need to ask…it involved _**him**_!_

_He's already an enigma. One minute he's acting like the biggest jerk in the world, strutting around the castle like he owns the place; flaunting his broom for all to see during quidditch practice; speaking to the teachers with no respect, like they're old pals. Then, the next minute, he's a good kid, showing first years secret passages that his godfather told him about; offering rides on his broom to my drooling brother; and helping out classmates with homework that he _clearly _doesn't need to be doing to understand the stuff. I wonder why he's here at all, given how much he already knows._

_But anyway, I walk into my dormitory earlier today, and find the girls giving each other pedicures. Not too unusual. We have these evenings every once in a while. But I wondered why they planned it the day I had detention. They know I love these girls' nights that we do now and then. Besides, without me, they have an odd number, which is much less fun for Pedi-night!_

_But then I find I've been replaced for the evening by none other than Harry Bloody Potter. Can you believe it? Mr. I-Saved-The-World-So-Give-Me-A-Medal with my friend's feet in his hands? _

_I walk in, and his back is to me, so he goes on talking. "So I tell Ron, I was like, 'boy, she is so in to you!'"_

_Gasps, "You did not!"'s, and "I can't believe you said that!"'s filled the room from my dorm mates. _

_"I did! I totally did! They've been dancing around each other for weeks, I _had_ to tell them."_

_"Harry," my dear friend Ellie said. "It's been for _years_, not weeks. And you're the first to actually say it to them. Maybe they'll finally do something about it. Ron and Hermione were made for each other. Or made to kill each other."_

_Harry giggled, and took Ellie's foot in his hands, massaging gently. "You can say that again, girl."_

_I backed out of my room, then, a little fearful for what more I might see. Who is this kid? Who is he, _really_?_

Wow.

Yup.

So…

Well, I suppose it worked, didn't it?

I mean, he got her to rethink a little bit about him, didn't he?

Not sure it was the exact type of rethinking he was hoping for, of course.

No…but it wasn't just those sixth year girls he was working on either.

No?

No. According to Sir Padfoot, Harry really started to hit it off with Ron and Hermione, who were the two people Ginny was closest to. Like us, they had been the first to forgive her after the Chamber incident as you recall, and the first to ask forgiveness for not being there for her sooner.

Yes, a smart move for Harry. Did he figure out from them that it was Ginny that he had saved from the Chamber?

No, they didn't feel it was their place to say anything about it. But they shared all sorts of things about their own past with him, especially after he convinced Ron to ask out Hermione. They felt like they owed him a lot, and their friendship was the first thing they gave.

But Harry's goal was just to change Ginny's perception of him.

It may have started that way. But soon, Harry had found his first ever friends that were his own age. Nymphadora Tonks had been the closest thing to a peer he had ever had, and she was nearly ten years older than him. It was a completely new experience for him, and he loved it. Sir Padfoot began drinking a little bit less once Harry had shared the good news of his friendship with him.

I can't imagine what life must have been like for Harry. I only read _Ginny's_ diary, you see. And at this point, she's yet to look at things from his point of view. She's still convinced he's a jerk at this date and time. Part of that might be that Harry was starting to make friends with Colin Creevey, the most recent of Ginny's boyfriends. I never did understand that one.

I do.

You do? How, in Phaoroh's feral feline, would _you _know?

Well, Harry figured it out.

When he and Colin were getting to be friends?

I think 'friends' is a bit of a strong word. Colin, while having grown out of his puny runt stage—a handsome young man, really—was still a bit of an admirer. Of magic, of Ginny, of Harry.

Go on.

Well, Harry had noticed that he and Ginny were together over the few weeks following the Tryout. They weren't overly public with their relationship, and Harry thought it looked more like a friends with occasional benefits type of relationship than boyfriend-girlfriend.

What type of benefits are we talking, here, George?

Not to worry, my overly concerned brother. A few snog sessions is all they likely did.

How did Harrry find all this out?

Well, observation at first. But then he decided that he needed to get to know the boy. Ginny went to sit with Luna Lovegood at the Ravenclaw table for lunch one day, so Harry moseyed on over to Colin and struck up a conversation:

"Hey, it's Colin, right?"

Colin turned quickly at hearing his name from an unfamiliar voice. "Oh! Oh, yes. Harry, erm, Potter, yea?

Harry chuckled. As if the boy needed to confirm his name. It wasn't a cocky thought; just an experienced one. Harry went on to have a little chat with Colin; pleasantries mostly. Whenever the conversation lulled, Harry noticed Colin' eyes would roam to Ginny across the Great Hall.

"You really care about her, don't you?" Harry asked.

"Hmm?" Colin asked, surprised. He then blushed when he understood who Harry was talking about. "Oh…yes. We've been friends for years," Colin said, his voice become slightly dreamy. Harry withheld a smirk. "Then, we're studying one day…and we sort of kissed."

"How long ago was that?" Harry asked, curious.

"Let's see…mid September. It's been a few weeks, now."

Harry let the smirk come to his face at that point. You see, Harry was student of character observation. He had been taught by many well-trained witches and wizards how to understand his enemy based on their actions and inactions. Harry had learned early on that Ginny was a compulsive girl, often reacting quickly based on powerful emotion. It seemed to Harry that Colin was her hasty reaction to the Tryout fiasco.

Well, well, well, George. You have figured it out. Ginny always just referred to Colin as a great friend in her diary. Even when they were dating, that's about all she would say about him, while she spent pages and pages…and pages talking about Harry Potter and his piercing gaze.

Exactly. Harry knew at that moment that Ginny's feelings for Colin were not deeply rooted. She wasn't necessarily _using_ Colin, but it had been an emotional, gut reaction to run to a safe boy when Harry was causing her so many problems. And that is why Harry smirked before continuing the conversation.

"How do you feel about her?" Harry asked, hoping he wasn't too attached to the girl, as it probably wouldn't last.

Colin took a deep breath, his eyes still on Ginny as she talked lively with Luna. "She's my everything."

Harry grimaced. But Colin wasn't done. "She's got my heart, you know? She's perfect. She's the song I can't get out of my head. She makes me want to be better."

Colin continued for some time, and Harry no longer felt bad for the kid. He was just starting to get annoyed, instead. "I bet she's the wind beneath your wings," he said dryly after Colin had been talking for over a minute. "The beat of your bosom, the life in your legs!"

"Exactly!" Colin said, excitedly, finally removing his eyes from Ginny to nod at Harry. He clearly didn't pick up on the sarcasm. "She's the motor in my boat. The magic in my wand."

"Careful with that one," Harry said, interjecting. But Colin made no noise of acknowledgment. He just kept on talking. So Harry stood up and walked away. Which I assume is why Ginny hated Harry more after this?

Oh, no, George. Ginny hated Harry more for this because Colin was over the moon that Harry had talked with him. Called him a "great friend, an incredible man" after that.

And Ginny _hated_ him for that?

It's a girl thing. They don't want their boyfriend being friends with a guy that are spitefully attracted to.

Huh.

Yea, but he was breaking her down. Between the pedicure, befriending Ron and Hermione, and being adored by Colin, Ginny was forced to rethink her opinion of him.

Oh?

Well, Sir Padfoot isn't called a genius by us for no reason. His plan to go through Ginny's friends was working. Over and over again, she'd write about how Hermione had _this_ nice thing to say about him, and Ellie said _that _kind thing about him. She was really starting to wonder if she had been wrong.

And then it happened?

Yes. That's when it happened.

Sir Padfoot locked them in a room together.

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**A/N: Hope you enjoyed. Let me know what you liked, found amusing, or random thoughts. Thanks!**


	4. In a Bottle

Disclaimer: I own nothin'

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It Happened Like This

Chapter Four: In a Bottle

So, Ginny wrote a question in her diary after the night they got locked in a room together.

What, in Quetzalcoatl's Cantankerous Canary, might that question be, Fred?

Was Harry telling the truth? Did Sir Padfoot lock them in the room, as Harry said? Or did Harry do it? Also, did Quetzalcoatl have a Cantankerous Canary?

First of all, there is no way of proving that he _didn't_ have a Canary with Cantankerous qualities. And secondly, would you lookee here…Fred, has your source given you inadequate information? Do you need _my_ help to understand what _really_ happened?

Not really…I mean, the end result doesn't change based on this small detail. Ginny…and, and I…would just like to know if it was Harry's master plan, or if Sir Padfoot had in fact locked them in a room together.

Well it just so happens I have _the _source necessary to answer your question. And the answer will be given after we tell what happened.

Really? You're going to do me like this?

Sure am. I have no doubt you'll find a way to repay me.

Of that, you can be sure. So, where were we then?

Well, Ginny had garnered another detention—we're well into October at this point, by the way.

Hang on a minute…Ginny had a detention? No no no, Sir Padfoot told you lies. Ginny wrote that she had gotten an urgent message from Sir Padfoot, and when she arrived, all she found was "Harry Bloody Potter" in the classroom.

Of course she would write that in her diary. She wouldn't want to remember being in trouble.

Of course she would! She loves being known as a trouble maker. A pot stirrer.

Exactly, but _not_ being known for being caught like an amateur!

Ok…maybe she did get detention.

She did—it was Harry that received a note. Then Ginny showed up in the designated classroom, and the door shut behind her.

Locked. Ginny checked, and used every charm she could think of to unlock the door, and get her _away_ from the enigma of a teenager she was trapped with.

Harry merely laughed. He knew what was happening.

So it _was_ Harry that locked them in there!

I never said that. I just said he knew what was happening. And he told as much to Ginny. "It's no use. Sirius found a special lock to contain me when he didn't approve of my training. It should have a timer."

As I read from her journal, Ginny's curiosity about the boy's upbringing outweighed her disdain and/or apprehension of him. "He would lock you up for not training hard enough?" It seemed rather extreme to her, and not something Sirius would do. He always seemed like such a great guy in class and in his interaction with Harry that she may be guilty of casually spying on.

"Oh, Merlin, no," Harry backtracked. "That must have sounded awful. He was no task-driver. On the contrary. He would lock me _outside_ with a broom when I was training too hard or too much."

Ginny became more confused. "Why would he do that?"

Wait, Fred—Sir Padfoot never told me Ginny pressed the issue.

Hmmm…I assume because Harry was nervous about his dear godfather taking it the wrong way. Oh lookee here…George, has _your_ source given you inadequate information? Do you need _my_ help to understand what _really_ happened?

Shut up, Fred. What happened?

Harry hesitated after her question, eying Ginny warily. He suddenly became quite nervous. She had never seen that look on Harry and it took her by surprise.

Slowly, Harry answered her question, but seemed to be thinking about his words very carefully. "Well…Sirius hated that I didn't get a normal childhood—that's why we came here for my last year of Hogwarts."

Ginny felt horrible all of a sudden. All of the terrible things she had thought about this boy all returned to her mind, and she realized that Harry might deserve none of it. After all, she didn't know about his upbringing—if he was solely surrounded by arrogant trainers or purebloods like Sirius, how could he turn out any differently? He was the Boy-who-lived-and-vanished—how could she judge him when she didn't know where he had _vanished_ to?

"And what was your childhood like?" Ginny asked softly, afraid of the question.

Harry was still guarded about the conversation. He turned away from Ginny and wandered slowly around the room. Ginny followed him, and finally got a good look at the classroom they were in. Its function was not for teaching and learning; instead, it seemed to be a large storage room for potion ingredients. It was where the bulk items were kept before being brought down to Snape's dungeon.

Ah! Is that the room where we stole the frogs that we let loose on Trelawny during our fourth year?

The very same, George. Of course, only house elves are meant to get in there, to keep the ingredients fresh and taken care of.

But the simple protection charms were not nearly enough to keep us out—and certainly not Sir Padfoot.

Assuming, of course, that it was him and not Harry that orchestrated this whole meeting.

So it _was_ Harry!

I never said that. What happened next?

Well, the two wandered around the room looking at ingredients like two art connoisseurs in a museum. Ginny would occasionally look at Harry, and saw that he was simply lost in thought, perhaps debating whether or not to tell her about his youth.

But he did, right?

Not before he cleared the air with Ginny. They stopped in front of a large glass bottle—a tank the size of a suit of armor. It was full of eyeballs, looking off in every direction.

Odd choice for Harry to stop there.

Ginny wrote in her diary that she thought it oddly symbolic—not sure how exactly.

What, in Amun's Amorous Anthem, did Harry say to her?

"Ginny, I don't normally open up to people who hate me. In fact, I have generally killed or imprisoned the only people who have hated me in the past, so forgive me if I'm not quite sure how to behave around you." Harry continued looking straight at the glass of eyeballs, and Ginny felt too awkward not to do the same.

After a moment of reflection, Ginny spoke softly trying to lighten the situation for her own sake. "Well, I'd appreciate if you didn't treat me the same way as them."

Harry let out a light laugh, and Ginny let herself smile. But then Harry grew serious and finally turned to look at her. "Me too," he said.

Ginny was blown away. He had called her out on exactly what she had done. She had treated him like a cocky pureblood who believed he was better than everyone else. She had treated him with doubt and judgment, believing him to be doing the same. She had treated him like Tom Riddle.

"I'm sorry," she said.

A real smile came to Harry's face. "And I'm sorry for doing whatever I did to make you treat me that way."

Ginny nodded, but came to the conclusion that she was the guilty party here. "Can we start over?"

"I'd love to," Harry said warmly, and Ginny's horrible feeling vanished with his forgiveness, even if she didn't feel deserving. She wrote in her diary that night that she might explain to him one day why she was so distrusting of him. But until then, she was grateful he would forgive her blindly.

Wow. So they finally cleared the air. Why did it take Ginny so long?

She refused to look at things from Harry's point of view. OH! There's the symbolism. The eyes—looking at things from multiple angles. Perhaps walking in Harry's shoes a bit. She hadn't been ready until he had softened her up through her friends. He had needed to prove to her he _wasn't _Tom Riddle before she would look through his eyes.

I see. Trusting tall, dark, handsome, charismatic, and powerful was a scary thing for her to do.

Right, so she had put up a wall. And Harry finally broke it down.

And then he opened up to her about his childhood?

Not so much at that moment. He told her briefly of how he had known from a young age that he would need to defeat Voldemort, so that's why he disappeared. He spoke a little about his godfather, and how Sirius would force him to stop training at times to go fly a broom, or just play games with him and Moony.

That's where Sir Padfoot picked up his narration for me at the pub. Continue.

"So that's why you're such a good flier?" Ginny asked. "It was your one escape?"

"Yea," Harry added, grateful to be able to talk quidditch with her away from practice. Grateful to be able to talk with her in general. "And I'm sorry I took your Seeker spot. As you can imagine, it's hard to develop talent in the other positions when you're just flying solo all the time."

Ginny lowered her head embarrassedly. This conversation completely changed her perception of the Tryout, and she felt horrible for what she did. "Tell you what: I forgive you for taking my spot if you forgive me for punching you in the face."

Harry laughed. "Done." But then Harry grew suspicious. "Wait a minute—Ron said you preferred Chaser anyway. What exactly am I apologizing for?"

Ginny raised her nose in the air. "For embarrassing me up in front of the team."

Harry raised his hands defensively in the air. "It's not my fault you left halfway through the Tryout. You know that you would have crushed me on the second test right?"

Ginny pushed a blush down and responded cockily instead. "Of course. I've seen your poor interfering abilities. You might as well be _helping_ the other team."

They laughed together, as Harry admitted his lack of skill in that department. The door unlocked shortly after this, and the two walked slowly towards the door. Ginny was somewhat disappointed that the lock only had a thirty minute timer. She would have enjoyed getting to know the mystery man a little better.

Harry later told Sir Padfoot he should have made it an hour-long lock.

So it was Sir Padfoot's design!

That it was. Harry had been very grateful to the man, though he did wish that he had known it was coming. But Sir Padfoot had told him he needed to be himself—no preparation. He ended up being right on that account, too.

Ginny was certainly happier that night. They walked slowly back to Gryffindor tower, with Harry asking Ginny about her own upbringing. She was careful to avoid talking about the Diary and Chamber, though. She feared what Harry would think of her when he found out. After all, he had spent his youth learning to kill Tom Riddle, and _she_ had nearly brought him back to life. _She_ had nearly killed her best friend and current boyfriend. _She_ had been a foolish little girl.

Oh Fred! If only she could have known just how understanding Harry would be. He could have helped her so much sooner.

Don't I know it, George. Imagine being saved from a horrible ordeal—but not knowing how it all ended. One minute you lose consciousness with Riddle's voice laughing in your head, and the next you're in a hospital bed, being told someone saved you from the Chamber and killed the Basilisk. How could she ever gain closure? How could she ever _truly_ get over the experience?

She moved on, certainly. But could she ever completely leave it behind her without Harry's help?

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**A/N: Phase two of Harry's plan to win over Ginny is complete. Tune in next time for phase three! Please let me know what you like and/or dislike about the story!**


	5. Hogsmeade

**A/N: We've passed the halfway point now, and starting in on the last few chapters. It's certainly a toss up for me between these last chapters, but I ****_think_**** this has been my favorite to write. Hope you enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I own nothing

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It Happened Like This

Chapter Five: Hogsmeade

According to Sir Padfoot, not much happened over the next few weeks, Fred.

Ginny's diary confirms that assessment, George. She kept writing about him, don't get me wrong. But now they were stuck in a new sort of limbo. You see, Ginny had a boyfriend—and new boy friends are frowned upon during the early stages of a relationship.

Not that they didn't get to know each other a little better over that time. After all, Harry was good friends with Ron and Hermione by this point, and Ron was Ginny's brother, and Hermione Ginny's best friend. It was only natural.

But as Ginny reflected in her diary—surrounded by boyfriends, brothers, and best friends is not the best place to discover how one feels about another. At this point, all Ginny _really_ knew was that she was incredible attracted to the boy, and she was impressed by his handling of her false judgment of him.

And all Harry knew about Ginny's personality was about what he had _seen_ but had yet to experience. After all, all he had gotten directly from her had been a cold shoulder and a punch to the face.

Literally.

Yup. So, he decided he needed to get some alone time with her—perhaps in a setting apart from everyday life.

Like a date?

Exactly like a date.

Which was impossible, given that she was in a relationship.

Impossible, huh?

Yes, Mr. Cryptic. But fortune smiled upon Harry and gave him a unique opportunity as November came around.

Fortune…right. A Hogsmeade trip was just around the corner for Hogwarts students, and Harry thought it might be a good time to get to know Ginny. So he talked Ron and Hermione into making up an excuse as to why they couldn't show him around the town.

Harry did that? Boy, oh boy…that conniving little bastard…

Yes indeed. Harry was a smart little cookie. So Hermione talked Ginny and Colin into letting Harry tag along. Harry even offered to take Luna as his date—a double date.

So Harry's plan was to get to know Ginny through a double date?

Sure…

Ok, Captain Cryptic. Well, Ginny bought it hook, line, and sinker. Hermione had said that she and Ron were on shaky ground in their relationship and needed more alone time. Ginny herself suggested that she take Harry for his first Hogsmeade trip so Ron and Hermione could enjoy the day to themselves.

In reality, Fred, their relationship was thriving. Harry would know—he spent most of his evenings covering for the Head Girl while she was inspecting the interior of broom closets with our youngest brother.

That conniving son of a bitch!

Yes indeed. So that's how Harry and Ginny found themselves sitting diagonally across a table from each other at Three Broomsticks.

Well, for all of Harry's planning, it took some luck to truly let them get to know each other.

Luck, huh?

Yes, Colonel Cryptic! I mean, Luna was explaining to Harry all about how the true fountain of youth was simply a giant pool of Snorkack urine, and Colin was talking Ginny's ear off about artificial light and aspect ratios. They didn't exactly have much time to get to know each other.

Until Colin was inexplicably met with an opportunity of a lifetime.

Right! In walks Adam Ainslie, world-famous photographer. Colin starts freaking out, Ginny talks him into talking to him at the bar, Colin talks to the man for a few minutes, and returns only to apologetically ask for a rain check on the date—oh…Harry set that up, too, didn't he?

Yup.

That conniving whoremonger! Ginny wasn't even upset about him ditching her—after all, how often does the best in the business offer to spend a couple of hours teaching you his tricks?

Only when a guy who saved his life calls in a favor.

Ugh…how did Ginny and I not see this? Well, they were still listening to Luna discuss the rejuvenating properties of magical urine before a little luck got them alone in the form of an emergency family meeting about the Quibbler.

Ok. Luck did that.

No! Fine, King Cryptic, tell me how, in Confucius's confounding cookies, Harry managed to convince Luna's father to call an emergency meeting.

There was no meeting, Fred. Harry merely saw Ginny with Luna a few weeks earlier and decided to get to know the girl. As it turns out, they became fast friends, albeit quietly. Let's just say that Luna winked back at a grinning Harry as she left for her "emergency meeting."

That conniving mother fu—

Yes indeed. But it got the job done, didn't it? Soon, Harry and Ginny were sipping bottles of butterbeer all alone, enjoying some good conversation.

Ginny felt more than a little nervous as she watched Luna leave. She slowly turned her gaze back to Harry to find him smiling lightly at her. They each gave some nervous laughter before Harry slid over in his seat, so he was directly across from her.

"Guess it's just the two of us, then. You don't mind, do you?" Harry asked.

Ginny minded a little bit. Ever since their "fresh start," Ginny was quite unsure how to behave around Harry Potter. Before, it had been easy—hate him. But, once she realized her fault, she began to wonder exactly what to do around him. It didn't help that one look into his eyes made her forget whatever it was she was thinking about.

Ugh. Girls.

"Not at all," Ginny said bravely. She would just be herself, she decided. No point in putting up a fake persona around him. Whether he liked the fake persona or not, it would not end well when she dropped it. It was a lose-lose situation.

"Good," Harry said with a smile. He was really quite excited to get to know this girl. Really get to know her.

That is obvious from the massive effort he put into getting her alone with him.

But that's what is so crazy! He hadn't even admitted to Sirius that he liked Ginny yet, beyond calling her a pretty girl. He was just so _intrigued_ by her that he simply _had_ to get to know the real Ginny. "Because I've heard a lot of things about this town, and demand to be given a proper tour."

Ginny raised her eyebrow challengingly. "Demand, eh? Now that's not the proper way to ask for something."

Harry smirked. "What do you mean? I'm Harry Potter; I saved the world. Everyone should be bending over backwards for me."

Initially Ginny was furious. Just when she had reversed her opinion of him, he goes and proves it right? But then she saw his eyes dancing with mischief and he winked at her. She let a small smile come to her lips, glad that he had forgiven her so completely that he was making jokes about it. Deciding two could play at that game, Ginny responded. "Believe me Potter, I will be doing no bending at your request."

Harry told Sir Padfoot later that night that his mouth went a little dry at her implication.

I for one, George, don't approve of such suggestive banter.

Nor do I, Fred. But we must tell the facts, no matter how _displeasing_ they may be. Harry joined right in after Ginny. "We'll have to see how compelling an argument I can make, then," he said, raising an eyebrow.

Ginny impressed herself by the control she had over the blush creeping over her body. She decided she needed to redirect the conversation, so that her imagination didn't get away from her. "You're not off to a great start," she said with a grin. "But I _will_ begin the tour, if you're finished with your butterbeer."

"That I am, Miss Weasley. Lead on." They stood from their booth, and headed towards the door.

What follows, according to Ginny, was a "magical" afternoon.

She went with that cliché word, did she?

Well, it was fitting. They began meandering around the shopping district, in light discussion. Ginny didn't feel awkward once, which she wrote in her diary was a miracle. Ginny knew she was horrible at first dates, which this had _somehow_ become.

And by 'somehow,' you mean because Harry planned out every last detail to ensure it so.

Yes. Anyway, Harry knew all the right questions to ask, remarkably. Before she knew it, Ginny had talked all about her wonderful upbringing with her fabulous brothers.

And perhaps some of the challenges that came with that.

What possible challenges could brothers like us cause, George?

Aside from lighting her hair on fire and turning her bed into an Acromantula trap, not much.

Exactly. She had told him all about her favorite class, Charms, and her favorite teacher, Flitwick.

Always was in my top three. _My_ favorite, of course, was Binns.

That's only because we could put crudely constructed straw dummies in our seats, skip class, and he wouldn't know the difference.

Guilty as charged.

Anyway, Ginny was at ease the whole afternoon, and even commented on this to Harry. "How is it, that a kid who grew up with no one his age is so easy to talk to?" she asked as they walked into Gladrags.

Harry scoffed. "Please…if you grew up around the perpetually jawing Sirius Black, you would learn how to run off at the mouth, too."

Ginny laughed before responding. "Well, I've been talking far too much. Tell me more about _you_."

Harry shrugged. "Later. Right now," he said, looking at an outrageous outfit on a mannequin in the shop. "Right now, I _need_ to see this on you."

They spent nearly an hour trying on various clothes that the hipster outlet had to offer. By the end of their time, Ginny thought her cheeks needed a massage, for how sore they were from her constant laughter and smile.

After she had tried on a particularly good-looking jacket—which Harry mightily approved of—he took it up to the cashier to buy it.

Naturally, our sister objected. "Harry, you can't buy that for me!"

"Of course I can," he said dismissively, which was not the right tactic to take with Ginny. "Besides, I would feel bad if we didn't buy something after all the time we've spent in here."

"Then buy something for yourself. Or let me buy something!" Ginny protested, her temper rising.

"Consider it a payment for your great tour, then," Harry said, exasperated.

Her temper rose some more, along with quite a bit of hurt. First of all, money has always been a touchy subject with our dear sister. It's not that she minds being less well-off than others. It's that she doesn't like feeling indebted to others.

And she doesn't realize that there are ways to repay people's kindness without money.

And that she already does that every day.

I understand the temper, then. But why the hurt?

Well…she had completely forgotten that she was a tour guide for Harry's first Hogsmeade trip, given how much fun she was having. So to be reminded of it by Harry, she had to wonder if that's all the afternoon had been to him. A tour.

Girls.

I know…anyway, she responded to the git in a rather heated voice. "I don't want payment for the tour!"

But then that git turned it all around in an instant, didn't he?

Yes George. As Ginny wrote:

_Then he turned to me and looked right into my eyes. I couldn't believe how earnest and honest those eyes were. Not to mention gorgeous. He spoke softly, and I could hear the apology in his voice as he voiced the true reason for wanting to buy me the fantastic jacket. "Then please, let me buy you this to show my gratitude for an unbelievable afternoon. Besides, it looks bloody amazing on you, Gin."_

_Can you believe this kid? I have barely gotten to know him and he says that! He positively makes me melt! And the way he said my name like that, I—_

Okay, Fred. That's enough. We get the point.

Well, George. It was an important moment. You see, that was the moment Ginny admitted to really liking this kid.

He had won her over, huh?

Ginny wouldn't reluctantly agree to let _just anybody_ buy her a nice jacket.

Harry talked at length to Sir Padfoot about the way his stomach jumped when Ginny flashed him a brilliant smile after putting on her new article of clothing.

So he started liking her, too?

Oh Fred, haven't you been paying attention? Harry had liked the girl since she punched him in the face. He simply had no idea! This was the first girl he'd ever spent more than a few minutes with. And while he'd gotten his share of "Thank-you-for-saving-my-life kisses" from girls pretty and ugly, young and old, Ginny was the first girl he had developed feelings for. Forgive him for being slow to realize what they all meant.

Well, suffice it to say, it was a "magical" day.

Don't forget the most magical part of their day, Fred: their final visit was to our second shop.

How could I forget? Well, probably because I was at our Diagon Alley location that day…But Ginny's diary wasn't! "This used to be Zonko's joke shop," Ginny said, opening the door to the greatest business of all time.

Harry smiled as he went into the building he knew too well. I saw the two of them before they saw me. "Ginny, my sister! How good to see my own flesh and blood!"

Can I just say here, George, that Ginny was terrified that you would embarrass her, somehow, in front of Harry?

You can, Fred. But I have to wonder how on earth _I_ could embarrass Ginny.

It might have something to do with your next comment. "And Harry Potter, sweet mother of Merlin, what could you _possibly_ be doing with my baby sister." And you stepped back and took a good look at her. "Although, I must admit she's no baby anymore. I have watched her go from diapers to training knickers, to knickers, to training _bra_, and finally to the bra she has today. And who knows what bra and knickers might come next?"

Oh…I guess that might be a little uncomfortable for some people.

Ginny was mortified.

Harry was laughing. And in his laughter, he greeted me properly. "Good to see you again, George."

This came as a right shock to Ginny. Almost enough to rid her of the nasty blush that had covered her face. "You know my brother?" she asked Harry.

"Know me? Harry is responsible for Fred's and my success!" I said, and then looked apologetically at Harry. "Oh, sorry mate. You wanted me to keep that a secret didn't you? I just figured that with you here with her and everything, you would have told her."

Ginny was blown away by this news, and tried to work out how it was possible.

Harry sighed and shook his head. "That's alright George. Just don't be telling other people anything."

"Wait, how are you responsible for their success?" Ginny asked, not satisfied with the little information she had.

Harry looked away, embarrassedly. So I answered for him. "He gave us our startup money, sis. I don't even know how he found us. Maybe dad mentioned it in an Order meeting or something. Anyway, he sends Fred and me a letter in our sixth year, saying he wants to help us get started."

Ginny whipped her head back around to look at Harry. He sighed again before commenting. "Voldemort had just returned," he said softly. "I thought the world would need a little more laughter in it. And they supplied it. I'm not responsible for their success. Your brothers are evil geniuses."

Ginny shook her head. "This whole tour I've been telling you about my brothers, and you already knew them!"

Harry gave an apologetic smile, which grew into a cringe when I spoke again. "Tour? Harry doesn't need a tour of Hogsmeade. He's the one who saved this town from utter destruction. Zonko's was the only building burned down, and Harry convinced Zonko to sell the property to us and retire."

Boy, George, you really spoiled the afternoon for them, didn't you.

Yes...I have since learned how to stick my foot in my mouth.

Well, fortunately for you, Ginny took it very well that she had been lied to by Harry. She was very flattered. He had faked ignorance the whole afternoon, just to spend it with her.

"In my defense," Harry said, cowering under Ginny's fake glare, "I didn't get to go _in_ any of the shops. I was mostly on top of them firing spells at people. And if I _did_ go inside, it was to help people find better cover."

Ginny groaned. "Ok, Mr. Hero, you are officially the hardest person to be angry at. You have some of the best excuses of all time."

Harry smiled weakly. "Thank you?"

Ginny nodded and dryly said, "You are one conniving git, you know that?"

"I did win ten galleons from Sirius when I got sorted into Gryffindor," Harry said. "He was sure I'd be a Slytherin."

"I believe it," Ginny said. She then glared at you, George, if I recall from her diary correctly.

I believe she was angry at me for never telling her we know Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived-and-vanished.

But we were under strict orders not to reveal it!

That didn't stop her from marching right out of our shop.

Well, they figured they should find Colin and Luna to head back to Hogwarts.

They found Colin and Luna in the town's center. They waved to their actual dates, and Luna and Colin started walking towards them. Harry took his last precious seconds alone with Ginny to tell her one last thing. "Thanks for giving me a one-of-a-kind tour, Gin. I had a _really_ fun time."

Ginny didn't have time to respond. Colin was close, and she didn't want him to hear just how great of a time she had, too. So Ginny just smiled right back at Harry with the happiness he had given her that day bubbling in her heart.

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**A/N: As per usual, let me know what you think. I really enjoy getting some feedback on the story overall, specific jokes yhou found amusing, etc. So let me hear what you like and don't like! Thanks for reading**


	6. The Breakup

**A/N: Well, we're entering the homestretch here. This one's a bit longer than these chapters have tended to be, so that's nice. Just two or three more chapters, depending on how things wind down. Thanks to my tremendous reviewers. REally brightens my day, hearing what you have to say. Hope you enjoy the latest installment!**

Disclaimer: I won nothing...

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It Happened Like This

Chapter Six: The Breakup

My dear brother George, would you believe it? Ginny found herself in a bit of a predicament following her Hogsmeade visit with Harry.

I would believe it, Fred. I assume she was quite conflicted.

You assume correctly, George. To be in a relationship with one guy, but have feelings for another. It's tough.

As you, no doubt, know from experience?

Touché, brother of mine. Touché. That hurt, George.

So what was the big deal? Dump Creevey and jump Potter.

The old dump and jump, eh? Well, George, some of us aren't so brash…or hurtful!

Ok, brother dearest…it was a joke.

That doesn't mean it wasn't hurtful!

Look, why don't you and your feminine side just tell us what Ginny was thinking, then. Since I am _clearly_ not capable of discerning.

That's right you aren't! Where were we?

Ginny conflicted. In relationship with the wrong guy.

Ah yes. Well, Ginny spent half of her time trying to avoid Harry, as she didn't want to be thinking of him instead of Colin.

And the other half finding excuses to spend time with Harry?

Right in one. She couldn't help but gravitate towards him, as if she—

—Were attracted to him?

That's exactly right. For days after the trip to Hogsmeade, Ginny would sit at the opposite end of Gryffindor table from him, or study in the library, instead of her preferred place, the Gryffindor common room, where Harry spent most of his free time.

Harry noticed this as well. He was a little confused, as he had had a wonderful time in Hogsmeade. Of course, he wasn't aware, yet, that he fancied the girl, but had hoped a stronger friendship would emerge from their trip to Hogsmeade. However, Sir Padfoot told him to be patient. "She'll come around," he said with a wink. Though I must admit his visits to the pub were quite frequent during this time. I believe there was a _very_ strong negative correlation between the progress of Harry and Ginny's relationship and the time he spent at the pub.

No doubt. But fortunately for Sir Padfoot's liver, Ginny just couldn't resist the magnet that was Harry Potter.

I believe it started after a quidditch practice a couple of weeks later. "You know, you never got to prove you could beat me on a better broom," Harry shouted to her after Ron had blown the final whistle.

Ginny couldn't resist the smile that came to her face, the urge to beat Potter, or especially the opportunity to spend some more one on one time with him in an innocent setting. The other teammates had made their way to the pitch below and were walking towards the changing rooms. "You're on, Potter."

Now, Fred…I have been curious about this for a little while. You see, Harry is a proud flyer. And while I have no doubt he _could_ beat Ginny while on her Cleansweep and with her on his Lighteningbolt, I have to wonder if he didn't exaggerate his victory while relating the story to Sir Padfoot later that night.

Ah…so Harry told Sir Padfoot he won, did he?

Yes…but was I right to wonder? After all, our dear sister is quite the flyer herself.

Indeed she is, and indeed you were, George. According to Ginny's diary, she beat Harry nine out of ten times.

Ah…there it is. Harry merely failed to relate the nine losses.

In his defense, Ginny lost all ten of her matches to him in reversed circumstances. Perhaps he was right to boast his one victory.

Well, now that we've been telling this story for a little while, Fred, I've come to respect integrity in storytelling. He owed Ginny _and_ his listener, Sir Padfoot, the truth!

Says the bloke who, moments ago, claimed I longed after a man whom I had feelings for while in a relationship with another.

Exactly! Storytelling integrity right there.

Right. Anyway, Ginny had a grand old time flying with Harry. Such that when it came to a close, she didn't want it to end. "Tag, you're it!" Ginny shouted, racing into Harry, and nearly knocking the unsuspecting hero off his mount.

You know, Fred, tag is a pretty childish game, isn't it?

What are you on about, George? We love tag. Play it all the time.

Yes, but we're childish.

Yes. And so is Ginny.

And that's why the next hour was so unique an experience for Harry. You see, he'd grown up being tutored and trained—with little to no exposure to kids his own age.

But Sir Padfoot is a childish guy.

Inasmuch as a man in his thirties with the responsibility of raising a savior can be, Fred. Do you really think Sir Padfoot played tag with Harry? That he played with action figures with him? That he acted out an imaginary adventure for hours with him? No. He was training him for _actual _adventures—and to Sir Padfoot's lasting torment, Harry never got a true childhood. Never got that game of tag.

Until Ginny came along.

Harry's whole life had been planned out and carefully managed. Naturally Harry became that way, too. His "spontaneous" date with Ginny at Hogsmeade had been in the works for weeks. Harry and Sir Padfoot had called in favors, mapped out the village, and talked about what Harry could do with Ginny so that they could best get to know each other.

Yikes. She had no idea.

That's because of who Ginny is. The idea of planning out what to do and say is so foreign to us and her that it never crossed her mind that Harry had orchestrated the whole day. And that's why Harry started to fall for this unique and impulsive girl. A girl who angrily misjudged his character during their first meeting, but who quickly forgave him when she saw the light. A girl who would drop all her plans when her boyfriend had a great opportunity and take on the challenge of giving Harry a tour of a town she only knew from a handful of visits.

A girl who would play tag with him, even though Harry's plan to race her after practice had run its course.

Exactly. And it didn't stop there. Ginny's charisma and life continued to make its mark on Harry over the next few weeks. She convinced Harry to play a prank on Ron, which may or may not have resulted in a drunken goblin dancing around the Great Hall with, and declaring his love to, Ron. Or that one morning she woke up early, went to the common room and found him just staring into the fireplace—

—that's when she took him up to the North Tower for the sunrise over the mountains. Ginny said she had never been so tempted to kiss a boy in her life.

And Harry had never been so elated, and after a nightmare-filled night, too! Ginny was slowly changing him, helping him see the joys in life and the people around him.

Ginny had no idea, of course. All she knew was that she had better end things with Colin, because she was already cheating on him in her heart. She didn't know whether Harry liked her back or not, but she knew she couldn't give Colin what he deserved while she had those feelings for Harry.

Turns out both of those quandaries fixed themselves one fateful night.

The kitchens?

The kitchens. Harry walked into the common room late one night to find Ginny's face in a book in the study corner, looking _very_ stressed. "Hey Gin, you alright?"

Ginny slammed the book down on the table with a groan. "No! I've got this potions essay on the limitations to the viagrus potion, and I just can't seem knock it out."

Harry pondered for a moment. The viagrus potion. "Did you start ahead of schedule, so that you were prepared?"

Ginny nodded. "But I've been working on it for five hours or longer, and I'm starting to get a little anxious it won't end!"

"Please don't tell me you're experiencing light-headedness, headaches, or nausea?" Harry asked nervously.

"Yea, I think I might have to see someone for help." Ginny let her head fall back into her book.

"I can help you, Ginny. And tell you what, let me do something for you this weekend, ease the stress of a hard semester a little bit."

Ginny's head shot out of her book. "This weekend? The cause of my stress will be over by then. Let's do something now."

Harry bit his bottom lip. "I guess we could…" He trailed off. Remember, Fred, Harry was used to plans; and he certainly wasn't accustomed to finding random activities to relieve girls' stress.

"The kitchens!" Ginny all but shouted.

"The kitchens?" Harry repeated.

"Of course. I didn't see you at dinner, you must be starved!" Truth be told, Ginny knew Harry had been outside with Luna during dinner time, but what they were doing was both a mystery and more than a little envious to Ginny.

"Oh, right. Luna was trying to teach me how to track Peruvian Umgubular Slashkilters." Harry said, with a look on his face that perfectly described how confused he was about the experience he had had during dinnertime.

"Planning a trip to Peru, are we?" Ginny asked with a smile.

Harry grinned back. "No, plus we had no Umgubular Slashkilters, Peruvian or not, so we just chased Crookshanks around for a couple of hours."

"So you must be starving, then?" Ginny asked while standing up, her homework forgotten.

Harry's grin stayed right where it was. His face was a common place to find a smile when he was around Ginny.

And so it was that the pair of students made their way down to the kitchens for a late night snack. Ginny led him there, sneaking through secret passageways, away from the traitorous tattle telling portraits, and by roaming prefects. Harry expressed how impressed he was with her sneakiness; Ginny reminded him that she was our little sister, and had learned from the best.

The absolute best, Fred.

They arrived at the kitchens, and the house elves noticed their presence at once. But one house elf in particular caught Ginny's attention. He was new—at least in the months since Ginny had last visited.

"Harry Potter, sir!" shouted an excitable elf, bouncing up and down on his little feet before launching himself at Harry, who looked embarrassedly at Ginny.

He was different from every elf Ginny had ever seen for two reasons. The first was just how much adoration he showed for someone who clearly wasn't his master. The second was that he was dressed in a child's Spiderman costume. Now, Ginny didn't know much about the muggle world, but she had begged dad to take her trick or treating in town when she was little. He had agreed because of his fascination in muggle activities, and she had gotten free sweets out of the deal. But while she was out that night, Ginny had seen several young boys dressed just as this house elf was now.

"I see your wardrobe has grown, Dobby." Harry said, restraining a smile.

"Oh yes, Harry Potter, sir," Dobby said, pulling back from his hug and sticking his chest out proudly. "Dobby also has Wonder Woman's limited edition costume, sir."

"With the rope?" Harry asked, his eyes widening excitedly. A quick glance at Ginny told her that he was just playing along for Dobby's sake. Ginny was relieved; it might concern her if Harry was getting excited about a 'Wonder Woman' with a rope.

Dobby nodded emphatically, so much so that Ginny wondered if he might hurt himself. "And invisible plane, sir! Though I don't know where it is."

"Of course not," Harry said, understandingly. "Dobby, I'd like you to meet my good friend Ginny."

"It's a pleasure, Dobby," Ginny said with a nod of her head.

Dobby gave an extravagant bow, with a flourish of his hands. Out of his wrists shot a strange, silky string, which he embarrassedly vanished with a snap of his fingers. "Any friend of Harry Potter's is a friend of Dobby's," Dobby said when he had straightened. "Now, let Dobby get Harry Potter and his Ginny some food," Dobby continued before rushing off.

Harry chuckled and took a seat at the table, motioning for Ginny to do the same. "I had completely forgotten Dobby had come to work for Dumbledore," he said with a shake of his head.

Ginny sat across from him. "_Your_ Ginny wonders a little bit how you met him? He's a treasure!"

"Isn't he?" Harry said with a smile. "Well, _my Ginny_, I sort of freed him during the attack at Malfoy Manor last year."

Ginny frowned. "But Draco Malfoy is still alive; he's suspended from school, but alive. How could you free him?"

Harry leaned in conspiratorially. "He's not suspended. That's just the cover story. Draco had been feeding us information for months before the attack at Malfoy Manor. Dobby's release was one of the many conditions with the Order for keeping him and his mum safe from the Death Eaters. The suspension is just a cover story so that the remaining Death Eaters don't look into our mysterious attack—they would find Draco's involvement pretty easily. We're just tracking down a few last Death Eaters, and Malfoy will likely return to school in the Winter."

Ginny sat back in shock. "You mean he was a good guy all along?"

Harry shrugged. "Good is relative. What he did was very self-serving, thinking about the Malfoy name and all. You see, his father had just been killed, so Draco gambled on me and won. Now, he'll receive honors from the Ministry, retrieve his name's former 'glory,' and keep most of his fortune. His innocent elf was one of the few things I could get out of him with his help."

Ginny nodded. "That sounds more like Malfoy."

"Sometimes we must make deals with demons to destroy the devil," Harry said. Just then, Dobby, now sporting his Wonder Woman costume complete with rope and stuffed cleavage, returned with two plates full of delicious food, which Harry immediately began wolfing down.

Ginny, on the other hand, ate little. She was lost in thought about the man sitting in front of her. What a unique childhood he had. Full of war, politics, and intrigue. Ginny felt like a very little girl in front of him.

Harry slowed his eating when he noticed Ginny's somber mood change. "I'm sorry, Ginny. I shouldn't be unloading stories of the war like that…"

Ginny's head shot up. "No! Harry, I love that you feel like you can talk about some of that stuff with me. Please don't feel like it's a burden."

"Then what's the problem?" he asked earnestly.

Many thoughts entered Ginny's mind. She couldn't exactly voice her insecurities to Harry; that would just make her more of a little girl. Besides, who is to say he even might like her in that way? And on top of that, why was she concerned about it when she had a boyfriend? Ginny shook her head. "I'm just not hungry," she finally voiced with a smirk. "After all, I'm not the one who spent dinner time finding Peruvian Umgubular Slashkilters."

Harry let out a laugh, and their meal progressed without further incident.

But the walk back to Gryffindor Tower wasn't without incident, was it George?

No, Fred; it wasn't. You see, Ginny must have been lost in thought on the journey to the Tower, and made a couple of rookie mistakes. An amateur, really.

Well, she had a lot to think about. And what about Harry, huh? The Boy-who-live-and-vanished-and-killed-dozens-of-bad-guys? Where were his espionage moves?

Harry was also lost in thought. You see, the boy had finally come to realize that the feelings he had around Ginny were light years from the feelings he had around Ron and Hermione.

Well, word to the wise, George; don't stick two physically and emotionally attracted teenagers into a tightly confined space on a night of confusing thoughts.

What _was_ Mrs. Norris thinking?

You might imagine Ginny's surprise when Harry put his hand over her mouth and pulled her roughly into a broom closet.

I might try _not_ to envision that image, actually, Fred. But what I _do_ wonder about is why Hogwarts has so many broom cupboards for horny kids to rush off, too? It's like the Founders were begging for some scandal.

While I think you might be on to something, there. You're digressing.

Well, sorry for not wanting to talk about my little sister pressed up tightly in a small closet with Harry Bloody Potter.

Fine, then I will; and it will all come from a sappy teenage girl's diary. Happy?

Not really.

Ginny was more than a little surprised by Harry's action. When he finally removed his hand from her mouth, Ginny whispered fiercely, "What are you doing?"

The two were forced to stand close—just inches away even when they leaned against opposite walls. Ginny became very aware of this as Harry shifted to put his ear to the door. "After a couple hours of following Crookshanks around this afternoon, I've gotten pretty good at detecting cats," Harry said.

"Mrs. Norris," Ginny said knowingly. "Is she still out there?"

Harry listened for a moment, but shook his head. "I don't know. We'll have to wait for a minute before we leave.

Ginny smiled mischievously. "Well, Mr. Potter, if you wanted to get me into a broom cupboard, you didn't need to blame Mrs. Norris. You just needed to ask."

Harry looked up at her quickly in shock, which Ginny was expecting. And she expected that shock to turn quickly into a smirk. Harry would then join in some playful banter, as they had on more than one occasion.

But Harry didn't smirk. Even in the dim lighting from the edges of the doors, Ginny saw his eyes cloud over and he stepped forward in the confined space. He was pressed up tightly against her, despite there being several inches of space behind him. Ginny found her hand resting on his chest and his own hand sliding up her back. He looked down into her eyes, his face growing closer.

Ugh! Fred, please tell me this is when Filch interrupts them.

Yup. "What is it, my sweet?" the two students heard from their hiding place. They immediately let out breaths they hadn't known they were holding, and separated. They waited in silence, not daring to look at each other, but remaining focused on the footsteps outside their door.

We've been in that situation before haven't we, Fred?

Slightly different, George. While we have spent our fair share of nights hiding in closets from Filch, we never were slightly aroused and excited by each other.

True enough; though once again, I did not need that image, thank you very much.

I'm just saying the seconds took hours to pass for those two.

But they did pass, as did Filch, and the two snuck the rest of the way to Gryffindor Tower. And when they arrived, Harry determined to break the silence; hopefully remove any uncomfortable feelings the two might have from their experience.

"Hey Ginny…thanks for tonight. I was the one supposed to help you relieve stress and finish your potions essay, and instead you gave me a really fun night. Thank you." Ginny flashed him a brilliant smile.

"And thank you, Harry. It was _just_ the break I need. I think I'll be able to finish that essay no problem."

They looked at each other, smiling, for a little while longer than was necessary before laughing at the same time. "Well, g'night, Gin."

"Night Harry," she said, smiling as he walked towards the boys dormitories.

Harry stayed awake for a while that night, well aware that he had some strong feelings for this girl. He concluded that they were very different in many ways. But opposites attract so long as one is attracted to the opposite.

Really profound…

No, Fred. What he meant is that so long as one is willing to embrace the opposite, it is attractive. Harry could've easily decided to be annoyed by Ginny's playful nature, uncomfortable with her spontaneity. But instead, he smiled and said, "what the hell?" and found Ginny irresistible as a result.

Meanwhile, down in the common room, Ginny didn't have much time to reflect on the evening.

No?

No. You see, when she finally tore her gaze away from the stairs to the boys' dormitory and looked in the corner at her remaining potions homework, she found Colin staring at the table sadly.

Ouch.

"Colin," she said softly as she approached the study corner. "What are you doing up?"

He let out a long sigh. "I saw your things here and thought I'd help you out when you got back. I figured you'd just gone to the loo until ten minutes turned into an hour."

"I was just—"

"It doesn't matter, Ginny," Colin said sadly. "At Hogsmeade I saw the way you looked at him."

"But we didn't—"

Colin let out a light laugh. "I believe you. But you looked at him like that again just now. You don't look at me like that."

Ginny stayed silent, unsure of what to say. So Colin spoke up again after a few moments of silence. "I figure we should end things now. I'll understand if you're with him tomorrow."

"Colin, I never meant to hurt you. I don't even know if he…" Ginny trailed off, remembering how he reacted to her in the cupboard.

Colin smiled as he stood up and grabbed her hands. "He does, and you know it." He kissed her gently on the cheek. "Still friends?"

Ginny nodded. "Of course, Colin. Again, I'm so sorry."

Still smiling sadly, Colin continued. "What do you mean? I'm the one who broke up with you. I should be the one saying sorry."

Ginny let out a small laugh, and Colin turned around to go to the same staircase she had been staring at just moments earlier.

You know, Fred? Colin's not a bad guy.

No. And he got his reward for being a good guy.

What, in Colin Creevey's Creaky Crevices, do you mean?

He will forever get to say that _he_ dumped Ginny Weasley. That's going to get him some pretty great first dates.

Ah. Right you are.

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**A/N: Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed! Hope you let me know if you enjoyed, too!**


	7. It Happened Like That

**A/N: Thanks to my great reviewers! I've had a great time writing this story. This is the last full-length chapter. You can expect a short epilogue soon, otherwise. Thanks for reading, and I hope you've had a good time!**

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It Happened Like This

Chapter Seven: It Happened Like That

So, Fred, it would appear the obstacles have been cleared. The stumbling blocks have been removed. Ginny no longer hates Harry, but is in fact quite taken with him. She found that she gets along quite nicely with him. And she no longer has a boyfriend. Smooth sailing, right?

My dear brother…there is always the conflict raging within a woman.

So that's why she made it so difficult for Harry to make a move?

Not that he was making that strong of a move.

I will admit—and Sir Padfoot's loud complaints at the pub would back me up—that Harry is not the most experienced at asking a girl out.

Ginny once spent three pages of her diary wondering if Harry meant anything more when he asked her, "Do you like to eat food?"

Yea…Sir Padfoot had a good laugh at him for that one.

Or perhaps the time he suggested she go see the drama club's presentation of "Merlin Superstar!"

Did you know he actually went to that, hoping she would have been there.

Huh…he was probably one of—

—six in attendance, yea. He ended up being grateful that didn't become their first official date.

I don't get it; Hogsmeade went so well! The kitchens went so well! How could he not be more confident. And why didn't our esteemed Marauder help him out a little?

He refused to, when Harry asked. Said that he had gotten this far, Harry should do the rest on his own. The truth of that matter is that this was the great test for Sirius. He knew that if Harry could rope this girl in, he would be alright—despite, or perhaps because of, Sirius' parenting. Sir Padfoot needed to see this play out for his own conscience's well-being.

Well, it took a few weeks longer than it should have, didn't it? And Ginny didn't speed the process along because of the war waging within her.

And what war was that, Fred?

How could Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived-and-vanished, the Defender of the Light, Destructor of the Dinosaur-lookalike, war veteran, hot, hot, hot—her words not mine—Harry, like her? Ginny Weasley, of humble origins, owner of two nice sets of clothes (one of which Harry got for her), opener of the Chamber of Secrets, sucker who fell for a Diary, hot-headed Ginny.

What, in Marvelous Merlin's Magical Manhood, happened to our confident and beautiful sister, Fred?

Harry Bleeding Potter—her words not mine—happened. He made her feel like a little child again with his impressive résumé and looks. Remember how quickly she poorly judged him and decided she hated him?

Of course—it kind of kicked off this whole story, didn't it?

Well, as I mentioned before, it was a defense mechanism. The last time she had met someone so compelling and confusing, so powerful and persuasive, so handsome and hot—

—her words, not yours?

No…my words. Anyway, the last time she met someone like that, she had been duped and nearly had her life force drained from her. So, initially she put up a wall, which Harry chipped away at. Then, she got to know him, and found herself surprisingly vulnerable to him—in a way that she hadn't felt, or let herself feel, since Tom Marvolo Riddle had gotten in her head. So, feeling scared and vulnerable once more, Ginny tried to run or hide. But with no emotional wall to protect herself from Harry anymore, all she could do is emotionally shut down around him.

I had no idea she had been carrying this fear around with her for her whole life, Fred.

That's because no one had brought it out in her like Harry did. Family, friends, and other boys Ginny Weasley could handle. They were easy to figure out, understand, anticipate. She never _had_ to leave herself open around them. But Harry was different.

But why?

Because he had touched the devil, too. And in her heart of hearts, it terrified Ginny that someone could actually relate to her. That Ginny might, for the first time in years, feel able to talk about Tom's possession and manipulation. So she felt small, like Harry had weathered the storm that she couldn't. So she closed herself off.

Well, it took Harry many long days of a non-receptive Ginny to realize something was wrong. But realize he did. And he did what Harry does best. He planned his attack.

Even without Sir Padfoot's help?

Yes indeed. He knew an after-quidditch confrontation was out of the question. He needed it to be a private affair, and with the rate at which Ginny headed to the changing room after practice these days, he knew he couldn't get her alone.

Meanwhile, Ginny had been keeping a close eye out for any conniving activities on Harry's part. She was actively avoiding him.

Right, which made using Luna, Ron, or Hermione to get her alone a trying task for Harry. No, Harry needed her to come to him.

So what exactly did his plan entail?

Well, I won't bore you with the details, but let's just say a switched potion ingredient resulted in Snape's hair lighting on fire, sending Ginny to the Hospital Wing, whereupon she encountered a boy who had grown chipmunk fur on the underside of his arms and legs.

And Ginny is allergic to chipmunks.

Don't ask me how Harry knew that, or how that allergy is possible—anyway, with an impending allergic reaction, Ginny grabbed the potion in the Hospital Wing that she had used the previous year to treat her allergy and took a swig without consulting Madam Pomfrey.

I don't blame her. She grows awfully strange scales from that allergy. Can't be pleasant.

No…nor can the spiked potion that Harry planted there. Soon Ginny was running around the grounds with her hands widespread behind her, humming "In the Summertime," by Mungo Jerry.

But it was late November at this point!

Ginny didn't know that. At least not while hopped up on whatever tantalizing potion Harry had her on. Harry was waiting for her near the Whomping Willow and called out to her when she neared him, making airplane noises.

Naturally, our beloved sister _vroomed_ right on over to him and grinned at him with a silly grin.

You know, while his plan was unnecessarily complex, harmed a few innocent bystanders, and included drugging Ginny, to Harry's everlasting credit, he waved his wand and removed the effects of the potion before addressing Ginny. "Can I talk to you for real now, Ginny?"

Ginny froze. Her odd actions now seemed very odd, but she wasn't dwelling on that. Instead, she was faced with the boy causing most of her anxiety and stress. Granted, he was also causing her much happiness and excitement, but it was a lot to juggle for a girl. She immediately turned away and made to leave.

"I'll jump in front of the Willow if you don't give me a few seconds," Harry threatened, and Ginny froze.

Tell me George. Was this part of the plan?

No Fred. You see, while Harry was falling for our dear sister, he may have picked up a few of her more…_impulsive_ traits. It was one of the reasons he liked her so much, and now it was giving him a chance at Ginny.

While it may have solved some of her problems, Ginny didn't _truly_ want Harry to get killed by a tree. She turned slowly around. "You going to ask me if I like food? Or suggest a play to go see?" she asked warily.

Harry couldn't help but grin. "Maybe later. Right now I want to know what's wrong. And while I have to assume I'm the problem, you won't tell me know how to fix it."

Ginny sighed and looked at her feet. "I really don't want to talk about this here…" Harry made to interrupt, but Ginny raised her hand. "If you're going to make me talk, then let's do it inside somewhere, not by a murderous tree in the cold."

Harry nodded before transforming into a falcon and soaring towards the tree. He pressed a knot of the tree, whereupon the vicious plant ceased any movement. Harry transformed back and said, "I know a place."

Ginny shook her head. "Who _are _you?" she asked while following him into a secret passage under the tree.

Harry had avoiding talking about his past for much of their conversations. But he figured if he was asking Ginny to open up with him, he should do the same with her. "My dad used to come here with Sirius and Remus during the full moons. Like me, my dad and Sirius were animagi. Remus, of course, is a werewolf..."

As Harry went on to explain about his godfather and mentor, Ginny had to admit it was nice to hear Harry talk about his past. He had always avoided the subject, except in rare cases. It warmed her heart that he felt he could trust her.

"…and so I renovated when we came here to Hogwarts, so I could have a place to come. You know, to think and reflect in solitude," Harry finished as they entered the Shrieking Shack.

Ginny's mouth dropped at the beauty of the "Shack" as she entered. It was small and simple, sure. Gone was the room where four animals used to wrestle and fight once a month. Instead, the room had been enlarged to include a large bed, kitchenette, and sitting area. The walls were painted a deep green, which contrasted beautifully with a painting hanging over the fireplace.

Seeing Ginny's gaze on his painting, Harry spoke on his choice of décor as he lit the fire. "It's fascinating, isn't it? It's just a painting of the ocean. I mean, water is so common to us that we die if we don't see it every day. And yet, I can stare at it for hours."

Ginny couldn't help but agree, continuing her gaze on the ocean picture. It was a still painting, depicting a single moment as waves crashed on a plain beach. The sun set over the water. Aside from a few birds, the painting was empty. Yet it was beautiful. And mostly, it was peaceful.

"You've made me come to The Shack quite a bit these last few weeks, Gin," Harry said suddenly, causing Ginny to finally look away from the painting. But Harry was now looking at it intently. "I alternate between looking at this painting of endless, still water and staring at the fire, constantly dancing until it eats itself up and dies. I just can't _stop_ looking at them both."

Ginny bit her lip, quite unsure of what Harry was trying to tell her. But she stayed silent, waiting for him to finish.

"Two contrasting images: fire and water, dynamic and static, excitement and dependability. I sit here and debate with myself over who you are, Ginny. I argue about your dependability: the person I have trusted like no one else. Then I lament and celebrate how you flicker, avoiding me for days at a time only to surprise me with some of the best times of my life. But there is one constant when it comes to my ponderings over you Ginny." He tore his eyes away from the painting and fire and looked right into Ginny's eyes. "You are both fire and water, and I can't _stop_ thinking about you."

Well my dear brother, George. This was the moment Ginny had been dreading. The ultimate confrontation. One the one hand, Ginny was jumping for joy to hear him speak so candidly about his feelings for her. But, she knew she had to be open with him, too. And that meant telling him about her past; her failures and shortcomings. She hated that just moments from now Harry would be disgusted with her, or at the very least, _very_ disappointed in her.

Harry simply waited in anticipation as Ginny looked back at the fire.

"I don't think I'm the ocean, Harry. You are. You are the dependable one. You had the task of defeating a Dark Lord and didn't flicker or shy away. Day and night, you pressed on, pounding away until your task was done. You won, you never faltered."

Harry frowned, not liking where she was heading.

"I'm fire," she continued. "I'm flashy, and I catch people's eye. I can warm people up, but get too close and I'll burn you. I have a hot temper, and I'm too quick to judge. Leave me alone with no help, and I'll…" Ginny faltered as her gaze dropped. "Harry, I was once tasked with facing a Dark Lord, too."

Harry's eyes widened in alarm. "What? When?"

Ginny smiled sadly. "During my first year, I faced Voldemort in a Diary—"

Harry took a sharp intake of breath as his old memory came to the forefront of his mind. It was _her_, whom he had saved. _She _had been the victim of Riddle's horror. He made to cut Ginny off and explain that he knew, but Ginny raised her hand to silence him.

Ginny knew she needed to press on or it would only get more difficult. "I got a new Diary in Diagon Alley; I didn't even know where it came from, but did I question it? No. Like a stupid girl, I just starting writing."

"But—" Harry tried to argue.

"I started writing about how nervous I was for school. Wrote about my family. And Harry, someone started responding. And did I stop writing, as I should have? No, like the stupid girl I was, I kept writing."

"But—"

"I even knew it was something wrong. Daddy always told me not to trust anything if I couldn't see where it kept its brain. But did I rush off to an adult and share the dark book? No, like the stupid, weak girl that I am, I kept it, too tempted by the kind words being written back to be."

"But—"

"It started to gain power, and its words grew harsher. Then I lost control; like the weak and helpless girl that I am, I lost. I was possessed by a book and did horrible things, Harry."

"But—"

"No!" Ginny nearly shouted, still staring at the fire. Her eyes were starting to water. She couldn't remember the last time she had talked about this horrible time in her life. She had moved on from it—but had never been able to let go. And now all the pent up feelings of loss and insecurity were piling back on. "I even threw it away for a time. But Ron found it, and I didn't want to get in trouble. So like the stupid, weak, and scared little girl that I am, I stole it back, and succumbed once more to Voldemort."

"But—"

"I nearly died; I nearly let Voldemort return in the Chamber of Secrets, with a monster by his side. But Dumbledore and some nameless hero came to my rescue—the foolish, scared, weak little girl that I am."

"Ginny—"

"No, Harry," Ginny stopped, tiredly, the fire warming her moist cheeks tauntingly. "You don't get it. You stood up to him. You beat him. You stood before the devil himself and won. I…I lost to a mere memory. And the flickering fire that I am, I died. I, the stupid, weak, foolish litt—"

Harry couldn't hear her say it again. This smart, strong, beautiful witch that he had fallen for could _not_ call herself a stupid and weak little girl ever again. Voldemort could not have that victory over someone so good. But his vocal interruptions had not deterred her before.

I think it's safe to say that she stopped talking when he guided her face to his and kissed her, however.

Yes, her surprise lasted longer than the short kiss, too, which left her looking a bit like a fish when Harry pulled back.

When some of her senses came back to her, she finally got a look into his eyes. Before the shocking kiss, she expected to find disgust and disappointment there. But now, in her confusion, she thought she saw admiration and care.

"You know what the wizarding world has conveniently forgotten since my defeat of Voldemort, Ginny? That my own pride and ignorance got him resurrected in the first place. I won't bore you with the details, but let's just say that Diary wasn't the only object with Voldemort's lingering memory and soul.

Ginny's mouth dropped, terrified to think there were more Diaries out there.

"I found a Locket that Voldemort had left behind, and it spoke to me. It tried to convince me that I could destroy Voldemort forever by opening it up. Eventually, I gave in, and Voldemort used…part of me to come back. And it was entirely my fault."

Ginny sat quietly, fighting the urge to argue with him. Voldemort had returned the year after the Diary incident, which would've made Harry still a young boy. If she argued with him that he had just been a young boy, and that his mistake was understandable, she would be admitting the same about herself. If she said nothing, she would blame him for the return of Voldemort, which was not her belief. She warred with herself for a few second about what to do.

"Trying to decide between condemning me or forgiving yourself?" Harry asked with a slight smile.

Ginny's head shot up to meet his eyes, shocked that he knew her thought process.

"I found that when I forgave myself, life became much more enjoyable. In fact, I wouldn't be alive today if I hadn't." Harry reached forward and cradled Ginny's face in his hand. "Please forgive yourself. It wasn't your fault. It was Tom Riddle, Salazar Slytherin, and a giant basilisk's fault."

The war within Ginny raged on. She was convinced It _had _been her fault. She _knew_ what she was doing was wrong and stupid. She was selfish and desperate. Because of her, a number of students missed months of their lives. Because of her, a basilisk had been set loose on the school.

Is this where she realized what Harry had said, Fred?

Right you are George. "Wait a minute," Ginny said suddenly. "How did you know about the basilisk?"

"I always wondered who that girl in the Chamber of Secrets was," Harry commented, looking sadly at Ginny. "Of all of the victims I encountered in my war with Voldemort, no one compared with the battle she waged. For nearly a year, she withstood the mind games and power of the most evil wizard of this century. A mere eleven year-old, fighting Tom Riddle. I thought about you often, Ginny, though I never saw your face before Dumbledore took you."

Ginny's mouth dropped as he spoke. "It…it was you?" she asked weakly. "You risked your life for me? You saved me?"

Harry nodded lightly. Still holding her cheek, Harry brushed it affectionately with his thumb. "I forgive you, Ginny. Will you?"

It's an interesting thing, George. Why is it that we are so much more willing to forgive others than ourselves?

I wouldn't know. I've never done anything wrong to need to forgive myself of.

Naturally. But say you were human like the rest of us?

It's a tough question Fred. We are much harder on ourselves than others. We think _we're_ the exception, that _we_ don't deserve redemption or a fresh start.

In Ginny's case, I think she feared forgiving herself before everyone else did. She hated the thought that she could be living peacefully while someone she had hurt was still hurting.

And there was always one person who she could never ask if they were still hurting.

The mysterious hero who had opened the Chamber and slain the basilisk.

Harry Potter.

And now, here he was, sitting in front of her, understanding her, forgiving her, asking her to move on. Her eyes burned, and tears began cascading down her cheeks. Could she do it? Could she forgive herself of the pain and suffering she had caused? The fear and uncertainty that held the school hostage for a year?

Harry wiped her tears away gently as they fell one by one down her cheeks. Then, sensing Ginny had made her decision, he opened his arms up to her.

She readily fell forward into the embrace and cried into Harry's shoulder. "Thank you, Harry," she managed between heavy breaths. "Thank you for saving me then, and thank you for saving me now."

Harry simply rubbed her back gently as he let her release the dirt and muck that Voldemort had placed in her as a little girl.

You know, Fred, this Potter bloke is alright for our sis, don't you think?

So you don't want me to relate the well accounted and overly detailed snog session that occurred a few hours later, which Ginny wrote in her diary that night…

You know, Fred, we should watch this Potter bloke carefully…

…And the similarly comprehensive and lengthy diary entries for many days and weeks following.

…You know, Fred, we should track the Potter bloke down and threaten and beat some sense and manners into him

I think you're right, George. In fact, they've been together for months now, and Ginny still finds new and imaginative ways to describe what her boyfriend manages to illicit in her.

How could you read that without killing the boy, brother?

You forget this boy is a highly trained, dark wizard-killing, highly alert, deeply in love, boy.

You're scared, then?

Yes.

I don't blame you. But what are we going to do about him? I mean, Sir Padfoot has made plenty of jokes at the pub about his…lively and active godson. I always thought he was having me on.

No, I'm afraid he was being quite accurate in his description of Harry. I'm quite worried, however. It's been a few weeks since I last checked her diary. Perhaps I need to sneak back into her room and ensure nothing _too_ untoward has been going on.

Yes. Ginny's been back from school for a couple of weeks and it's been a long time since I've seen Sir Padfoot at the pub as well. Maybe I need to go have a drink tonight.

Alright. Reconvene here tomorrow? Perhaps we'll be concluding our story with the murder of Harry Potter?

Deal. Just pray Ginny doesn't catch you, or the murder victim will be much different.

Victim? You mean victims. If I go down, you go down with me.

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**A/N: Please let me know what you think! Nothing compares to a reader's review letting me know what they thought! Thanks!**


	8. Epilogue: To Fill in the Gaps

**A/N: Well, this is it. It's been a fun story for me to write, and I hope you've enjoyed as well. Enjoy the short, sweet epilogue to It Happened Like This.**

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It Happened Like This

Epilogue: To Fill in the Gaps

I don't believe this!

Don't believe what, George?

Sir Padfoot hasn't been to the pub in weeks!

Well, wouldn't you say that's a good thing?

His drinking problem was our only means of discovering if Harry has taken advantage of our poor, innocent sister.

First of all, Ginny is the _last_ person I would call innocent. Remember that one time she let the ghoul into Ron's bed?

Oh that was good…he screamed like a little girl when he awoke that morning, didn't he?

It was _not_ good! She convinced both Ron and Mum that it was us! We were degnoming for weeks!

Nearly had _me_ convinced that we'd done it, too. I suppose you're right. So she's not innocent, and not someone Harry would really need to take advantage of. If anything, she's having her way with _him_.

And second of all, Sir Padfoot was _not_ our only means of discovering the truth. We have Ginny's diary, too!

Oh my great brother, Fred. For the entire duration of this story, I have thought myself to have the superior source of information. But at last, you come through for us and discover the most vital of details. So what did the diary say?

It was empty.

…What?

She hasn't written in it for weeks.

Fred?

Yes, George?

I take back every kind thing I've ever said about you.

Fair enough.

Well this something. Sir Padfoot has a drinking problem—due to his depression over not giving Harry a happy and normal childhood— but _conveniently_ gets over it when we need vital information most.

And Ginny never misses a night writing in her diary, save few a few sleepovers at Luna's place or when she gets in really late, and suddenly she stops writing in it.

Fred?

Yes, George?

I'm afraid we have to face the facts here.

What facts?

I see… I'll let your innocent mind think what it will then.

What do you mean, George? Do you know something about Harry and Ginny that I don't?

Let's just say that our sources becoming silent tell us _exactly_ what we wanted to find out.

That Harry and Ginny are happy together, and not doing anything untoward?

Sure, Fred.

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**A/N: Thanks to you wonderful people who have read and reviewed the story. Your kind words have kept me excited about writing. If you haven't checked out my other stories, please do. And let me know what you think, even if you are a few months late to the party. Thanks for the support!**


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